Summary of Bird Sightings in Muskegon County
December 2007 - February 2008
compiled by Brian Johnson
LOCATIONS: MSP: Muskegon State Park MWS north: Muskegon Wastewater System property north of Apple Ave. MWS south: Muskegon Wastewater System property south of Apple Ave.
CANADA GOOSE - about 4000 on Jan 9 at MWS (JP)
MUTE SWAN - 55 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
GADWALL - 4 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK - about 200 on Jan 4 at MWS (JP); 1 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
MALLARD - about 500 on Jan 9 at MWS (JP); about 500 on Jan 30 at Mona Lake (FD); 82 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
NORTHERN SHOVELER - about 200 on Jan 9 at MWS (JP)
CANVASBACK - 5 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
REDHEAD - 1 on Jan 1 in Egelston Twp (RP et al.); 1 on Jan 9 at MWS (JP); 26 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
GREATER SCAUP - 8 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
LESSER SCAUP - 1 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER - 9 on Jan 5 at MSP Lake Michigan (RP, FD, et al.); 1 on Feb. 23 at Pere Marquette Park (JL)
BLACK SCOTER - 1 on Jan 28 at White Lake Channel (BJ)
LONG-TAILED DUCK - at least 300 on Dec 7 at Pere Marquette Park (GK, JH); 12,050 on Jan 5 at MSP Lake Michigan (RP, FD, et al.)
BUFFLEHEAD - 1 on Jan 9 at MWS (JP); 82 on Jan 28 at White Lake Channel (BJ)
COMMON GOLDENEYE - 1454 on Jan 5 at MSP Lake Michigan (RP, FD, et al.); 218 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
HOODED MERGANSER - 1 male on Jan 1 (RP et al.) and Feb 2 (PV) at MWS; 2 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
COMMON MERGANSER - 51 on Jan 5 at MSP Lake Michigan (RP, FD, et al.); 12 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER - 21 on Jan 5 at MSP Lake Michigan (RP, FD, et al.); 8 on Jan 28 in White Lake Channel (BJ)
RUFFED GROUSE - 1 on Jan 25 in Dalton Twp (KM)
WILD TURKEY - 14 on Feb 2 in Norton Shores (RP)
RED-THROATED LOON - 1 on Dec 27 at Pere Marquette Park (GK, JH)
COMMON LOON - 1 on Jan 5 at MSP Lake Michigan (RP, FD, et al.)
BALD EAGLE - 6 on Jan 5 at MSP Lake Michigan (RP, FD, et al.); 3 (2 immatures, 1 adult) on Jan 9 at MWS (JP); 5 (2 adults, 3 immatures) on Jan 30 at Mona Lake (FD)
COOPER'S HAWK - 1 adult on Jan 28 at White Lake Channel (BJ)
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK - 1 immature on Feb 5 (MB) and Feb 16 (RP) at Mona Lake; 1 adult on Feb 25 at Norton Shores (CD)
RED-TAILED HAWK - 1 on Jan 18 at MWS north (JS)
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK - 2 (1 light morph, 1 dark) on Jan 18 at MWS (JS); 2 (light morphs) on Feb 2 at MWS south (CW)
GOLDEN EAGLE - 2 on Feb 2 (CW), 1 on Feb 16 (TP) at MWS north
MERLIN - 1 on Jan 27 at Pere Marquette Park (GK, JH)
AMERICAN COOT - 2 on Jan 28 at White Lake Channel (BJ)
PURPLE SANDPIPER - 3 on Dec 1 at Pere Marquette Park (BJ, LU)
ICELAND GULL - 1 adult on Feb 23 at Pere Marquette Park (JL)
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL - 1 immature on Dec 27 at Pere Marquette Park (GK, JH)
BARRED OWL - 1 on Jan 2 in Laketon Twp (CW)
BELTED KINGFISHER - 1 on Jan 9 at Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve (RP et al.)
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER - 2 on Jan 4 (JP) and Feb 23 (MNC) at the end of Mill Iron Road; 1 on Jan 9 (RP) and Feb 7 (NH) in White River Township
NORTHERN FLICKER - 1 on Jan 30 in Muskegon (FD)
PILEATED WOODPECKER - 1 on Jan 19 in White River Township (BB, MB)
NORTHERN SHRIKE - 1 on Jan 1 (RP et al.), Jan 18 (JS), Feb 2 (PV), and Feb 23 (MNC) at MWS; 1 on Jan 6 in Laketon Twp. (CW); 1 on Feb 3 in White River Twp (JH)
HORNED LARK - 1 on Jan 4 at MWS (JP)
EASTERN BLUEBIRD - 2 on Feb 16 at the end of Mill Iron Road (CD); 12 on Feb 25 in Norton Shores (CD)
AMERICAN ROBIN - 65 on Feb 7 in Muskegon (FD)
VARIED THRUSH - 1 male present at two feeding stations in White River Township from before Dec 31 to at least Feb 7 (NH, DD), and seen on a regular basis by many visiting birders; second series of records this decade
BOHEMIAN WAXWING - 60 on Feb 11 in Fruitport Township (CF), and seen again at the same location on Feb 12 (RP, CP) and Feb 13 (CD, MB, CW, KN); first local influx since the winter of 1997-98
SNOW BUNTING - 15 on Feb 18 at MWS south (JS); 29 on Feb 16 at MWS north (CD)
BALTIMORE ORIOLE - 1 immature male on Feb 2 in Fruitport Township (DH, BK), first winter record from Muskegon County
COMMON REDPOLL - 6 on Jan 19 in White River Township (BB, MB)
PINE SISKIN - 3 on Jan 2 in Dalton Township (KM)
OBSERVERS: Michael Boston, Byron Butler, Maggie Butler, Charlie DeWitt, Feller DeWitt, Don Dykema, Nancy Hicks, John Hamel, Jill Henemyer, Dave Herdegen, Brian Johnson, Bonnie Kot, Gary Knowlton, Joseph Lautenbach, Kathryn Mork, Muskegon County Nature Club field trip (MNC), Kathy Neff, Torsten Pawloski, Ric Pedler, James Ponshair, Jan Shillito, Phil Vreeman, Lena Usyk, Carolyn Weng
ADDENDA FROM THE MUSKEGON COUNTY CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS, DECEMBER 2007
The Muskegon County Nature Club sponsors two Christmas Bird Counts in our area. The Muskegon CBC (MU), which fell on December 15, has been conducted without interruption since 1930, and the Muskegon Wastewater CBC (MW), which occurred on December 19, has been conducted annually since 2000. The following are some highlights from those counts.
TUNDRA SWAN - 114 on MU, fifth highest count
WOOD DUCK - 1 on MU NORTHERN SHOVELER - 430 on MW
GREEN-WINGED TEAL - 3 on MW
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER - 57 on MU, third count record and record high count (old record 4)
LONG-TAILED DUCK - 2,625 on MU, record high count (old record 71 in 1953)
COMMON GOLDENEYE - 849 on MU, best since 2563 in 1988
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER - 116 on MU, second highest count
HORNED GREBE - 6 on MU, ties second highest count
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT - 2 on MU, sixth count record
BALD EAGLE - 16 on MU, ties count record
NORTHERN HARRIER - 1 on MW
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK - 1 on MW, first record
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK - 1 on MU, tenth count record
GOLDEN EAGLE - 2 on MW, record high count
PEREGRINE FALCON - 2 on MU, third count record
AMERICAN COOT - 267 on MU, fourth highest count
KILLDEER - 1 on MU, sixth count record
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL - 1 on MU, fifth count record
MOURNING DOVE - 189 on MU, ties second highest count; 563 on MW, record high count (old record 480)
EASTERN SCREECH-OWL - 3 on MW, first record
SHORT-EARED OWL - 1 on MW
BELTED KINGFISHER - 4 on MU, ties highest count
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER - 3 on MU
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER - 13 on MU, third highest count; 30 on MW, record high count
DOWNY WOODPECKER - 27 on MU, record high count; 42 on MW, record high count (old record 33)
HAIRY WOODPECKER - 8 on MU, record high count; 9 on MW, second highest count
NORTHERN FLICKER - 14 on MW, second highest count
NORTHERN SHRIKE - 3 on MU BLUE JAY - 125 on MW, second highest count
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE - 170 on MW, record high count (old record 130)
TUFTED TITMOUSE - 54 on MU, fourth highest count; 41 on MW, record high count (old record 33)
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH - 11 on MU, ties third highest count; 7 on MW, record high count
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH - 45 on MW, record high count (old record 21)
WINTER WREN - 1 on MW
EASTERN BLUEBIRD - 9 on MU, second highest count; 46 on MW, record high count (old record 29)
AMERICAN ROBIN - 97 on MW, record high count (old record 4)
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD - 1 on MU, fifth count record (last one in 1980)
EUROPEAN STARLING - 1267 on MU, record high count (old record 1003); 3541 on MW, record high count (old record 1842)
CEDAR WAXWING - 374 on MU, record high count (old record 350 in 1994); 131 on MW, second highest count
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER - 14 on MW
SONG SPARROW - 4 on MU; 2 on MW
DARK-EYED JUNCO - 162 on MU, third highest count and best since 190 in 1985; 243 on MW, second highest count
NORTHERN CARDINAL - 69 on MU, third highest count and best since 76 in 1989; 83 on MW, record high count (old record 78)
SNOW BUNTING - 96 on MU, fifth highest count
PURPLE FINCH - 2 on MW
COMMON REDPOLL - 73 on MU, best since 129 in 1997; 10 on MW, second highest count
PINE SISKIN - 15 on MU; 2 on MW, first count record
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH - 198 on MW, second highest count
HOUSE SPARROW - 1,000 on MU, record high count (old record 469 in 1995)
We encourage everyone to submit records of birds (as well as of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) seen in Muskegon County. Sightings made in March - April will appear in the MCNC newsletter and website. Please be sure to include date, location, number, and observer for each species seen. Send sightings to Brian Johnson or to Ric Pedler.